You don't have to be on the verge of a heart attack or stroke to have an unhealthy heart.

That's why Public Health England and the NHS have developed an online test to estimate the 'age' of your heart.

And it's worth taking the test because 78% (approximately four in five) of the 1.9m people who have tried it so far have recorded a higher age for their heart than their actual age.

Just over a third (34%) of participants had a heart aged more than five years older than their real age, while 14% had a heart aged 10 years above their de facto age.

The test, which you can take here , asks participants aged 30 and over questions about their physical health and lifestyle.

If it estimates that your heart is 'older' than your actual age it offers advice on how to reduce your risk of heart attack and stroke.

Professor Jamie Waterall, national lead for cardiovascular disease at PHE, told the ChronicleLive : "Millions are at risk of cardiovascular disease but don't know it, putting themselves at real risk of suffering ill-health or dying younger.

"Knowing your heart age is a simple way of finding out whether you're at risk of a heart attack or stroke.

"By making important lifestyle changes you can reduce your risk before it's too late."

You may be young but your heart may feel 'older' (Image: Getty Images/iStockphoto)

Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death among men and the second in women.

Around 24,000 of deaths in England every year are in people under the age of 75 and 80% of these are preventable, which is equivalent to around 50 per day, PHE said.

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People can improve their heart health by losing weight, quitting smoking, exercising regularly and cutting back on alcohol.

Simon Gillespie, chief executive of the British Heart Foundation, said: "Millions of people in the UK are unknowingly living at high risk of a heart attack or stroke due to their lifestyle, their family history of heart disease, or undiagnosed conditions including high blood pressure and cholesterol.

"Our message today is that it's never too late to change.

"Take the test, and if you are concerned by the age of your heart, make an appointment to see your GP."